Tracheotomy bandage



Jan. 21, 1969 5. MlsHKlN ETAL 3,422,817

TRACHEOTOMY BANDAGE Filed April 19. 1966 INVENTORS SIDNEY MISHKIN ROBERT E. BIDWELL m wm ATTORNEYS United States Patent Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tracheotomy bandage comprising a gauze covering for a resilient frame with the gauze shaped to provide a central opening with overlapping end portions. The resilient frame can be moved to separate the overlapping portions to permit insertion and removal of the bandage over a tracheotomy tube. The bandage grips the tube when in use.

The present invention relates generally to an improved bandage, and more particularly to such improved bandage having a specific advantageous application as a dressing for the body operation opening of a tracheotomy tube or similar medical instrument.

In procedures involving a tracheotomy tube or similar medical instrument requiring pacement into the body through an operation opening, there understandably exists a need for a bandage dressing for such operation opening to absorb body fluids and for other purposes. Moreover, frequent changing of this bandage dressing is required. In these circumstances, conventional bandage relying on adhesive attachment to the body has many shortcomings, the most significant being the discomfort caused to the patient during the adhesive attachment thereof and the release of this attachment preparatory to removal of the bandage from the pressure sensitive area adjacent the operation opening.

Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved bandage overcoming the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art. Specifically, it is an object to provide a bandage for use with a tracheotomy tube or the like which does not require adhesive attachment to the body but which is adapted for attachment to the tube.

A tracheotomy tube bandage demonstrating features and objects of the present invention has a gauze or other appropriate material body formed with separate body segments having opposing edges thereon bounding an internal bandage opening therebetween, in an approximate central location of the bandage. Forward of this internal bandage opening, the two body segments terminate in separable overlapping body portions which, depending on the extent of overlap therebetween, determine the size of the internal bandage opening. In practice, the overlap which is provided results in an opening size which brings the opening edges into gripping engagement with the tracheotomy tube, thereby obviating the need for an adhesive attachment or the like to secure the bandage in place. In addition to this advantageous method of being secured in place, the construction of the bandage hereof also lends itself to being easily positioned and removed from about the tube. A further feature of a preferred embodiment of the bandage hereof is the provision of a teflon coating on the underside surface of the bandage to minimize sticking to the body operation opening edges and adjacent areas.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description or" a presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the use of the bandage hereof in position about a tracheotomy tube and functioning as a dressing for the body operation opening for such tube;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the individual elements of a preferred embodiment of the bandage hereof;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the bandage at an intermediate stage in the manufacture thereof;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the bandage; and

FIG. 5 is similarly a plan View, but illustrating an open position of the bandage preparatory to placement thereof about a tracheotomy tube or similar medical instrument.

Reference is now made to the drawings wherein there is shown a bandage, generally designated 10, which is particularly suitable for use in conjunction with a tracheotorny tube 12 or similar instrument, and in particular as a dressing for the operation opening 14 through which the distal end of the tube 12 is extended into the respiratory passages. The proximal end of the tube 12 which, as shown in FIG. 1, extends from the operation opening 14 requires the use of a bandage or the like as a dressing for the opening. Not only is such bandage required to absorb the body fluids and for other purposes at the operation opening 14 and in the regions adjacent thereto, but constant changing of this bandage dressing is also required. Further, the area adjacent the operation opening 14 is understandably extremely sensitive to pressure and the like, and heretofore the frequent adhesive attachment and removal of conventional bandage to this area was a source of considerable discomfort to the patient.

The foregoing and other disadvantages of conventional bandages relying on adhesive attachment are overcome by the bandage 10, particularly when put to the specific use as a dressing for the operation opening 14 of a tracheotomy tube 12 or similar medical instrument. To this end, the bandage 10 in a preferred embodiment as illustrated herein includes a top and bottom panel 16 and 13, respectively, fabricated of a gauze material having appropriate absorbent properties suitable for use as a bandage dressing for a body operation opening. The panels 16, 18 are attached to each other so as to form a cover which is then fitted about a resilient frame 20, preferably formed of wire or similar material. The function of the resilient frame 20, as will be described in detail subsequently herein, is to provide a closed position for the bandage 10 as illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4 when such bandage is located over the operation opening 14. At this time, the bandage 10 is effective to engage the tracheotomy tube 12 to substantially maintain this position over the operation opening 14 rather than require adhesive attachment to the patient. The resilient frame 20 also enables the bandage 10 to be manipulated into the open condition illustrated in FIG. 5 which. in an obvious manner, greatly facilitates both the placement and removal of the bandage 10 from about the tracheotomy tube 12.

Referring now to the construction of a preferred embodiment of the bandage 10, in major respects the top and bottom panels 16 and 18 are identical to each other with the exception that the outer surface 181 of the bottom panel 18 is preferably coated or impregnated with Teflon which is known for its non-adhesive properties and which therefore minimizes sticking of the bandage 10 to the operation opening 14 or surrounding area. This, in an obvious manner, facilitates the removal of the bandage 10 from about the operation opening 14. Except for this difference, however, the panels 16 and 18 are identical and thus for brevitys sake only the top panel 16 will be specifically described and the bottom panel 18 designated in an appropriate manner to indicate the features and parts thereof which correspond to the described parts and features of the top panel 16. The top panel 16 is preferably fabricated of a pair of identical body segments 16a and 16b which are secured to each other along a stitched seam 22. Each of the segments 16a and 1612 are appropriately shaped so that just beyond the seam 22 they have internal arcuate edges 16c and 16d facing each other and bounding an internal bandage opening 24. Beyond the arcuate edges 16c, 16d, each of the body segments 16a and 16b terminate respectively in overlapping body portions 16e and 161. The extent of the overlap of the body portions 16e and 16 determines the size of the opening 24 such that a greater overlap provides a smaller size to the opening 24, and vice versa. The separate construction of the body segments 16a and 16b from each other along the respective lengths thereof forward of the seam 22 also enables, in an obvious manner, the separation of the overlapping portions 16e, 16 which results in a separation opening 24a along the edge of the bandage which opens into the internal bandage opening 24. It is thus a relatively simple matter to pass the bandage about the tracheotomy tube 12 through the separation opening 24a and into the opening 24 and then release the overlapping body portions 16a, 18a and 16b, 18b for movement into an overlapping relationship with each other under the urgency of the resilient frame 20. Moreover, it is contemplated that, in practice, the urgency of the resilient frame 20 will be such that the tracheotomy tube 12 will be engaged by the internal bandage edges bounding the opening 24 so that no adhesive contact of the bandage 10 against the body areas adjacent the operation opening 14 is required in order to hold the bandage 10 in proper position about the trachetomy tube 12.

An appropriate embodiment for the resilient frame 20 is shown in FIGS. 2, 3, illustrating the frame as a generally rectangular shape formed with corner circular configurations 20a and 20b which increase the springy nature of the frame. In an area at the central front of the frame which generally corresponds to the position of the overlapping body portions of each of the top and bottom panels 16 and 18, the frame 20 terminates in separate overlapping sections 20c and 20d on which the panel overlapping body portions are fitted when the frame is sandwiched between the top andbottom panels 16 and 18.

Although it is possible to construct the bandage 10 in accordance with many conventional techniques, a method of manufacture which is preferred can best be understood by progressive inspection of FIGS. 2, 3 and 4. The individual panels 16 and 18 are initially placed one upon the other and secured to each other with marginal stitching along all but the rear edges 16g and 18g. Following this, the attached panels 16 and 18 are turned about this marginal stitching thereby hiding the raw edges inwardly of the enclosure and presenting finished edges outwardly along the secured length portions. At this stage of manufacture, and as illustrated in FIG. 3, the resilient frame 20 is placed within the attached panels 16 and 18 with the frame overlapping sections 200 and 20d respectively being fitted within the panel overlapping portions 16:2, 18e and 16 18). The bandage is then completed by a closing line of stitching 26 along the rear edges 16g, 18g. Additionally, top stitching 28 is advantageously provided along the inner portions of the frame 20, as indicated, to secure the frame 20 in place along the turned edges of the bandage 1.0.

From the foregoing description, it should be readily appreciated that the bandage 10 hereof represents a structure which can easily be both placed about and removed from a medical instrument such as a tracheotomy tube 12 which extends from an operation opening 14 in the body. Additionally, the separately constructed body segments 16a, 18a and 16b, 18b of the bandage are effective by presenting edges bounding or defining an internal bandage opening 24 or variable size of providing an improved technique for securing the bandage in place. As explained herein, this bandage opening 24 under the urgency of the bandage resilient frame 20 assumes a size which results in a gripping of the tracheotomy tube 12 by the edges of such opening so that no additional method of securement, whether by an adhesive surface or otherwise, is necessary in order to firmly secure the bandage 10 in place about the operation opening 14. Moreover, this method of securing the bandage 10 in place not only minimizes the discomfort to the patient during the time of use thereof as a dressing, but also facilitates changing of the bandage.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed Without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

What is claimed is:

1. A bandage for use about a medical instrument extending from a body operation opening comprising a pair of bandage body segments having internal edges thereon bounding an opening therebetween of variable siZe and terminating in overlapping body portions which determine the size of said opening by the extent of overlap therebetween, and means within the body segments including a resilient frame engaging said body portions for urging said body portions into an overlapped condition and being movable to separate said overlapping body portions to insert and remove the bandage from around a medical instrument, said resilient frame means causing said internal edges to grip said instrument for maintaining the position of the bandage about the instrument.

2. A bandage as defined in claim 1 wherein the underside surface has a coating of Teflon to minimize the adhesive attachment thereof to any portions of the body operation opening and body portions adjacent to said operation opening.

3. A bandage as defined in claim 1 including a pair of superposed panels comprising the body of said bandage, said panels being secured to each other by marginal stitching and having said resilient frame sandwiched therebetween.

4. A bandage as defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient frame is preferably fabricated of wire.

5. A bandage as defined in claim 4 wherein the bottom bandage panel has a surface coating of Teflon.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,943,623 7/1960 Thompson 128-156 X 3,286,713 11/1966 Kurtz et al 128-456 3,301,257 1/1967 Crowe et al. 128296 DALTON L. TRULUCK, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 128156, 133; 24-257, 262 

